UT fans can handle a defeat by a better team. What we UT fans cannot handle …

[Remy]

Is playing bad football. What is bad football?
Watching Etienne run his first TD where Hadden ran into him rather than using his hands to tackle or grab him.
Incessant offensive penalties.
Watching a team run the same play over and over against you successfully making zero adjustments.
3rd and forever all night and chucking the ball out to the edge 1 or 2 yards rather than downfield attempting an actual 1st down.
Abandoning the running game as early as possible.
When the middle of the field is not being defended keep throwing to the edge.
Make sure we get outcoached and outclassed.
On and on it goes.

 

[hUTch2002]

Is playing bad football. What is bad football?
Watching Etienne run his first TD where Hadden ran into him rather than using his hands to tackle or grab him.
Incessant offensive penalties.
Watching a team run the same play over and over against you successfully making zero adjustments.
3rd and forever all night and chucking the ball out to the edge 1 or 2 yards rather than downfield attempting an actual 1st down.
Abandoning the running game as early as possible.
When the middle of the field is not being defended keep throwing to the edge.
Make sure we get outcoached and outclassed.
On and on it goes.

I have a harsh reality for you. It’s very possible Florida is the better team. I didn’t think so going in but they looked it last night. It’s early in the season so we don’t yet know who will end up where. I do know Florida is in the top 16 in those blue chip ratio standings while we aren’t. They can’t be terrible. Maybe they just played poorly on the road going far West against a decent Utah team. I guess we will see.

 

[VolBricks]

We got pushed around in the first half by a team that wanted it more. We responded after half but the score deficit from the first half was too big to overcome and we got out of our game plan. The real problem is the players listened to the press all offseason tell them how good they are and did not prepare for the season. Now we will more than likely go 8-4 or 7-5 with losses to A&M, KY GA, Bama.

 

[Go47]

Concerning trends:

Pre-snap penalties when playing on the road. Last night looked like a carbon copy of that when we played at UGA and USC last year.

It’s horrid. We started three straight drives with a pre snap penalty.

This is supposed to be an older / more seasoned team.

Poor tackling. We have seen it for 3 straight years with Banks. It’s not correcting.

Defensive backs who don’t tackle well and cannot cover and won’t turn their head to find the ball.

Florida may very well be the better team. Either way . . . The above points are proof of a poorly coached / undisciplined team. Only time will tell.

 

[Smokey19rt]

I have a harsh reality for you. It’s very possible Florida is the better team. I didn’t think so going in but they looked it last night. It’s early in the season so we don’t yet know who will end up where. I do know Florida is in the top 16 in those blue chip ratio standings while we aren’t. They can’t be terrible. Maybe they just played poorly on the road going far West against a decent Utah team. I guess we will see.

Sunbelt Billy just became SEC BILLY.

 

[hUTch2002]

Sunbelt Billy just became SEC BILLY.

At our freaking expense. Sickening.

 

[loservol]

Sunbelt Billy just became SEC BILLY.

In a few he will revert back to sunbelt billy. Last week's game against a bad Austin Peay was even more concerning for Heupel.

 

[VB_Vol]

A well coached team doesn’t look like this. Hope we got it out of our system.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

We got pushed around in the first half by a team that wanted it more. We responded after half but the score deficit from the first half was too big to overcome and we got out of our game plan. The real problem is the players listened to the press all offseason tell them how good they are and did not prepare for the season. Now we will more than likely go 8-4 or 7-5 with losses to A&M, KY GA, Bama.

No, the score deficit wasn't too much our defense gave us basically 4 straight 3 and outs and our offense could only muster a field goal out of it.

 

[hUTch2002]

No, the score deficit wasn't too much our defense gave us basically 4 straight 3 and outs and our offense could only muster a field goal out of it.

That’s where the refs came in, at least for some of that. That crack back call was unbelievable. Apparently players aren’t allowed to touch each other at all anymore.

 

[vavolfan6]

I have a harsh reality for you. It’s very possible Florida is the better team. I didn’t think so going in but they looked it last night. It’s early in the season so we don’t yet know who will end up where. I do know Florida is in the top 16 in those blue chip ratio standings while we aren’t. They can’t be terrible. Maybe they just played poorly on the road going far West against a decent Utah team. I guess we will see.

This. Florida made some asjustments from game 1. They trusted their running game. They involved Eugene Wilson more in the passing game (until he was injured). They were at home playing their rival.

Granted they may not be a top 10 team, but they surely aren't as bad as they were perceived heading into the game.

 

[hUTch2002]

This. Florida made some asjustments from game 1. They trusted their running game. They involved Eugene Wilson more in the passing game (until he was injured). They were at home playing their rival.

Granted they may not be a top 10 team, but they surely aren't as bad as they were perceived heading into the game.

What sucks is Florida probably isn’t a top 25 team (although there’s a lot of ball left to be played) but they do have talent on that roster. I don’t care who you’re playing in the SEC, if you go on the road you better be ready to play and we weren’t. That’s on Heupel. Don’t get me wrong, I still like Heup, we just have some major issues needing to be fixed.

 

[nomads-11]

Yep, don't mind it when they leave it all on the field, had some chances, but just got beat. This wasn't it. Tennessee played itself and Florida, and the former beat itself soundly.

 

[Jaws]

This. Florida made some asjustments from game 1. They trusted their running game. They involved Eugene Wilson more in the passing game (until he was injured). They were at home playing their rival.

Granted they may not be a top 10 team, but they surely aren't as bad as they were perceived heading into the game.

One of the more fair takes I’ve read. We were all lulled to sleep by the Utah performance.

This Florida team still isn’t great, but they’re better than last year and they’ve got some really good young talent. Zero seniors on Florida’s three-deep defensively and they’re all playing very good football.

 

[hUTch2002]

One of the more fair takes I’ve read. We were all lulled to sleep by the Utah performance.

This Florida team still isn’t great, but they’re better than last year and they’ve got some really good young talent. Zero seniors on Florida’s three-deep defensively and they’re all playing very good football.

Yep. What pisses me off is the lack of effort from UT in the first half. Florida flat out played like they wanted it while we played like we thought it was Austin Peay again. The effort was better in the second half but that just showed what they should have been doing all along. Of course, who knows how much Mertz being hurt factored in as well. Bottom line is Florida was better yesterday and that’s all that matters.

 

[VolunteerCeltic]

I think we can see the trend, Heupel is not good at preparing his teams for hostile away games and Banks is not SEC caliber Defensive Coordinator. I hope both of them feel intense heat from this loss. Martinez needs to hit the bricks, his secondary was horrendous...again

 

[cherokeeeVOL]

This is where I am too. I’ve been a diehard fan for more than 30 years so I’ve seen the program at its best and worst. Last night I cut the game off at halftime. I ended up turning it back on late in the third quarter but it was honestly a waste of time. Can’t remember the last time I did that but I did it calmly and without much emotion honestly. I can handle the team losing as long as I can tell that they’re just outmatched but playing hard. This unfortunately was a throwback to how we looked before Heupel got here and it’s frustrating to see it return.

 

[08Vol]

That’s where the refs came in, at least for some of that. That crack back call was unbelievable. Apparently players aren’t allowed to touch each other at all anymore.

It was a penalty based on the current rules and those are the only rules that matter. This team is undisciplined and continues to commit stupid penalties in year 3.

 

[TartanTurff]

Tennessee fans have a hard time with piss poor performances and casual preparations for traditional SEC rivalries which are necessary wins to have a decent season anymore, Tennessee has an embarrassment of riches compared to most schools in the SEC, including Florida, that couldn't financially honor their NIL commitment to their first year quarterback and to see a team essentially non competitive (last year it was in Columbia) again in Gainesville causes significant doubt about where the program really is in the ongoing rebuilt from the decades of foolish hires and wasteful spending by incompetent university leadership.

The game in Gainesville was time to put up or shut up and Tennessee simply did not show up and was embarrassed in every phase of the game on a national ESPN audience. Hence the frustration at the fan level and perhaps explains Heupel's short comments with Blob last night,

I'm kind of partial to the Hall of Fame/Outback/GizmoGadget Bowl in Tampa anyway, but we may be destined for another run at the Music Shi77y Bowl or some other nonsensical bowl that fans and draftable players will simply take a pass on.

 

[OrangeTsar]

Our last three losses all have one thing in common, road games late afternoon/evening in very hostile environments
Until Tennessee learns to step up to that challenge and develop the necessary mental toughness, we will not be a Championship level program. Period.

 

[GoVols64]

Is playing bad football. What is bad football?
Watching Etienne run his first TD where Hadden ran into him rather than using his hands to tackle or grab him.
Incessant offensive penalties.
Watching a team run the same play over and over against you successfully making zero adjustments.
3rd and forever all night and chucking the ball out to the edge 1 or 2 yards rather than downfield attempting an actual 1st down.
Abandoning the running game as early as possible.
When the middle of the field is not being defended keep throwing to the edge.
Make sure we get outcoached and outclassed.
On and on it goes.

We looked like Florida did against Utah.....

 

[hUTch2002]

It was a penalty based on the current rules and those are the only rules that matter. This team is undisciplined and continues to commit stupid penalties in year 3.

So you thought that was a legit penalty? What’s the rule regarding crack back then because that looked legal to me?

 

[RavinDave]

Sunbelt Billy just became SEC BILLY.

Billy Buzzcut

 

[OrangeWave2]

I have a harsh reality for you. It’s very possible Florida is the better team. I didn’t think so going in but they looked it last night. It’s early in the season so we don’t yet know who will end up where. I do know Florida is in the top 16 in those blue chip ratio standings while we aren’t. They can’t be terrible. Maybe they just played poorly on the road going far West against a decent Utah team. I guess we will see.

Vols showed up and played 1 solid minute of football to a score and thought that single drive would kill the other team's morale. Gators showed up to play 59 minutes of football. Where was the Vol run game?!? Bru Mccoy was all but invisible until his lone TD catch. Heupel wasted all those timeouts to just run the ball? No forward progress. Then Heupel wants to get cute and take a Timeout with 0:09 seconds left to pull some stunt. He better grow up and man up or he's not gonna make it after this year!

 

[BreatheUT]

This. Florida made some asjustments from game 1. They trusted their running game. They involved Eugene Wilson more in the passing game (until he was injured). They were at home playing their rival.

Granted they may not be a top 10 team, but they surely aren't as bad as they were perceived heading into the game.

That's what we said last year. Their running game isn't as good as it looked last night. It won't take long to find out. Kentucky in two weeks. Then the story will change for somebody. I don't think they'll be trying to butt up a runner with an off balance shoulder blow then watch him go 50 more yards because you can't then chase him down.